1. Field
An electrical conductor, a method of producing the electrical conductor, and a device including the same are disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electronic device, such as a flat panel display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, a touch screen panel, a solar cell, a transparent transistor, and the like, may include an electrically conductive thin film such as a transparent electrically conductive thin film. It is desirable for a material of an electrically conductive film to have high light transmittance (e.g., greater than or equal to about 80 percent (%) in a visible light region) and low specific resistance (e.g., less than or equal to about 1×10−4 ohm·centimeter (Ω·cm)). Currently available materials used in transparent electrically conductive thin films include indium tin oxide (ITO), tin oxide (SnO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), and the like. ITO is a transparent electrode material and is a transparent semiconductor having a wide bandgap of 3.75 electron volts (eV), and may be used to manufacture conductive films having a large surface area using a sputtering process. However, in terms of application to a flexible touch panel or a UD-grade high resolution display, ITO has poor flexibility and will inevitably cost more due to limited reserves of indium. Therefore, development of an alternative material is desired.
Recently, a flexible electronic device, e.g., a foldable or bendable electronic device, has been drawing attention as a next generation electronic device. Therefore, there is a need for a material having improved transparency, relatively high electrical conductivity, and suitable flexibility, as a transparent electrode material.